PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1920, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

TOPICS OF THE DAY. DAY BY DAY. WHO WERE THE REBELS ? [Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, This Day. The House dealt quite flippantly with a Bill proposed by Mr Wright (Wellington South) to greatly extend the issue of the Maori War medal. There were obvious indications of stonewalling, and a test contribution came from Dr Pom'are who asked “Who were the rebels in the Maori war?” He reminded the House that the war arose over Europeans taking Maoris’ land, although they were supposed to have their interests protected by the Treaty. Consequently, Europeans broke the Treaty and were the real rebels. He would not say that the EuroDean volunteers were not brave, hut they had a jolly good time at Parihaka, and were well repaid by loot they got from the Maoris, inchiding' greenstone - meres and family heirlooms, Mr Parry: They got the land, too. Dr Poinare: That came later. The European had a very taking way with him. (Laughter). They arrested Tewhiti and Tohu and kept them in gaol for nine months till a law was passed which could convict them. “Yes,” added Dr Pomare. “They all ought to have a medal, hut I would like to write the inscription. (Laughter). Mr Harris, who followed, said he supported the Bill.

A chorus of members: You deserve a medal.

DAIRY MACHINERY

The attention <of the Minister of Customs was called by Mr Masters to the injustice perpetrated by the Customs Department in connection with the importation of dairying machinery from Denmark as the Department charged duty on the value of the kroner, at an advance of 25 per cent, Thus the duty was based on £372 instead of £294. He wished to know if this unfair assessment was the regular policy of the Department. Sir William Herries undertook to give a reply in writing. BUILDING PROBLEM. The Minister for Education, in endeavouring to solve the difficult problem of catching up arrears in school buildings is badly handicapped owing to the lack of knowledge regarding the relative urgency of the large number of requests. He informed your correspondent that early in April the Education Department asked the nine Education Boards to indicate their building requirements for the next three years, and the order of the importance of the various items. This is necessary so that the problem should be systematically tackled and the most urgent cases taken first, but only one, a small Board, has supplied the necessary details, while the Department continues to receive almost daily further requests for buildings. “The building question is so difficult,’ remarked Mr Parr, “that it cannot he overcome in a piecemeal, unsystematical and wasteful fashion. We must have a proper scheme to work upon, and until the information I have asked for is supplied I must refuse to make any further building grants.” SUPERANNUATION.

The subject of the salaries, bonuses, allowances, and superannuation of Civil Servants is beginning to develop into one of the chief questions of debate in jfcbe House of Representatives. Yesterday it occupied the attention of members at various periods during the Budget Estimates debate. Many members seemed anxious to speak.

Mr. H. E. Holland (Duller) said that some of the superannuated public servants wore in a most deplorable position, not being able to live on the sums they received. There were those among them who could not work to supplement their allowance. These were men who at one time stood high in the service of this country. Mr. Holland moved to reduce the first item of the Finance Department's estimates by £l, for the .purpose of giving the House an opportunity of conveying to the Government its desire that ample

provision should be made for the superannuated public servant. The Prime Minister, in a “point of order,” said that at present they were dealing with Estimates, and he asked for a ruling as to whether words could be added to the amendment to reduce the item which had anything to do with administration.

The Chairman (Mr. A. S. Malcolm) ruled that the members must keep strictly to the Estimates. Nothing could be debated which suggested an alteration of the superannuation. Mr. Massey • said the Government was just as anxious as anyone to help those who found it difficult to carry on. Cabinet had gone into the matter. It was purely a question of finance, but he hoped that something in the direction desired would be done. Before the superannuation could be increased there must he an alteration of the law.

On a division, the amendment was lost by 35 votes to 19. Mr. Massey pointed out the peculiar position in which Mr. Holland’s desire to go to a vote had placed the House. Before the division he (Mr. Massey) had announced the Governments intention of doing something for the superannuated public servants, but Mr. Holland had driven the House to vote against what he had promised to do. He hoped members would see the desirability of not indulging in this sort of thing.